The National Retail Federation today released its annual holiday forecast, predicting retail sales in November and December will grow between 3.7% and 4.2% over 2024. That translates to total spending between $1.01 trillion and $1.02 trillion. By comparison, last year’s holiday sales rose 4.3% over 2023 to reach $976.1 billion. (NRF)
Read MoreAcross TikTok and Instagram, videos showing how to make felt ornaments, paper chains and dried orange garlands under hashtags like #homemadechristmas and #diychristmas have racked up millions of views. (Hale, USA Today)
Read More“David” grossed over $22 million at the box office in his opening weekend, surpassing “The King of Kings” and “Prince of Egypt” to become the highest grossing faith-based animated theatrical opening of all time. (Jackson, Church Leaders)
Read MoreChristmas remains a widely observed holiday in the U.S., with 88% of Americans saying they celebrate it, essentially unchanged from 90% last year and only modestly below the 96% recorded in 2005. (Saad, Gallup)
Read MoreThe University of Oklahoma on Monday removed an instructor who gave a student a failing grade on a gender essay last month, in an incident that had prompted debates over religious, gender and academic freedoms. (Masih, The Washington Post)
Read MoreSince October, Chinese authorities have moved aggressively to dismantle Zion and a network of related churches across the country. In a coordinated sweep, police detained Ezra Jin, Zion’s 56-year-old founding pastor, and nearly 30 other church leaders and members in eight cities including Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Chengdu. (Shepherd & Chiew, The Washington Post)
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